Gas or gasolene engine.



No. 808,572. PATENTED DEC. 26; 1905. J. PALMER.

GAS OR GASOLENB ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16,1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Enemy as":-

PATENTED DEC. 26, 1905.

J. PALMER. GAS OR GASOLENE ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1904 3 SHEETSS HEET 2.

A gi 7 PATENTED DEG.- 26,1905. J. PALMER.

GAS OR GASOLBNE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16,1904.

3 SHBETS SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN PALMER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIREC'I AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO F. S. RUTSCI-IMANN, TRUSTEE, OF PI-IILA DELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAS OR GASOLENE ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OI-IN PALMER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Gas or Gasolene Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to so con struct a gas or gasolene engine as to obtain maximum efficiency without undue complication of parts, the crank-pin receiving an operative impulse at each end of the pistonstroke and the proper drawing in of the mixture of air and gas and the proper compression of said mixture in each operative end of the cylinder prior to the explosion of the same therein being effected by the conjoint action of the piston and of a simple construction of governing valve or valves.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a double engine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 1 is a transverse section of part of the same. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are diagrams illustrating the different positions of the valve with which said. engine is provided, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of a single engine embodying certain modifications of the invention.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, I have shown my invention as applied to a double enginethat is to say, to an engine having two independent cylinders, these cylinders being represented at 1 and 2, respectively, and each cylinder being divided into two chambers 3 and 4, separated from each other by a transverse partition 5, which is provided with a stuffing-box for a piston-rod 6, the latter connecting two pistons 7 and 8, which are contained, respectively, in the chambers 3 and 4, but reciprocate as a unit. Each piston 7 has a pin or stud 9, which projects through a slot 10 in the side of its respective cylinderchamber and carries an external slide-plate 11, covering said slot,that portion of the pin which pro'ects beyond the sliding plate having pivota connection with one end of a rod 12, the other end of which is pivotally connected to a crank on the shaft 13 of the engine. Between the cylinders is a valve chest 14, which contains a valve having four disks 15, 16, 17, and 18, this valve having the hereinafter-described movements imparted to it by means of suitably-formed earns 19 on the shaft 13, said cams acting upon antifrictionrollers on the projecting rod of the valve, as shown in Figs. 1 and 1 The valve-chest has a central inlet-passage 20, through which flows the mixture of air and gas or hydrocarbon vapor which constitutes the motive fluid of the engine, and with each side of the valve chest also communicate four passages 21, 22, 23, and 24, the passages 21 and 22 communicating, respectively, with. the inner ends of the cylindenchambers 3 and 4 and the pas sages 23 and 24 communicating, respectively, with the outer ends of said cylinderchambers. The outer end of each of the cylinder-chambers 3 and 4 is what I term the operative end, being that in which the explosion of the motive fluid is effected, and it is provided with an igniter of any appropriate character, whereby the explosive mix ture can be fired at the proper time. The outer valve-disks 17 and 18 serve substantially as traveling valve-chest ends and prevent any escape of motive fluid under pressure from said valve-chest, and they also serve to balance the pressure exerted upon the outer faces of the disks 15 and 16, pressure upon the inner faces of these disks being also balanced at all times.

The valve acts in precisely the same manner in connection with each cylinder of the engine, the disks 15 and 16 of the valve serving the following purposes: They govern the flow of motive fluid from the valve-chest into the inner end of each of the cylindercham here, they effect confinement of the motive fluid in the inner end of each cylinder-chamber while it is being compressed therein, they open communication between the inner and outer ends of each cylinder-chamber after such compression, so as to permit a flow of partially-compressed motive fluid from the inner end of the cylinder-chamber to the outer end of the same in order that it may eject the spent gases of combustion from said outer end of the cylinder-chamber, and they then confine the partially-compressed m0- tive fluid in said outer end of the cylinder chamber, so as to provide for its further compression therein preparatory to its explosion in order to impart an active stroke to the piston. This cycle of operations will be understood on reference to Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the drawings, which represent the successive positions assumed by the valve during one complete stroke of the engine.

Fig. 2 represents the position of the parts at one end of the stroke-say with the crank at theinner limit of its throw. The piston 8 is at the outer end of the cylinder-chamber 4, and the piston 7 is at the inner end of the cylinder-chamber 3. The motive fluid, which during the instroke of the piston 7 had been subjected to partial compression in the inner end of the cylinder-chamber 3, is now flowing through the passages 21 and 23 to the outer end of said cylinder-chamber and is driving out the spent gases through the exhaustopen ing 25. The inner end of the cylinder-chamher 4 is open to the motive-fluid inlet 20 and has received a supply of motive fluid therefrom during the outward stroke of the piston 8. Communiction between the inner end of the cylinder-chamber3 and the motive-fluid inlet is cut off by the disk 16 of the valve, which is interposed between the passages 20 and 21. Communication between the outer end of the cylinder-chamber 4 and the motivefluid inlet 20 or the inner end of said cylinderchamber 4 is cut off by the valve-disk 1.5, which closes the passage 24, and the fully compressed gases are about to be exploded in the outer end of the cylinder-chamber 4. At about the time of the explosion, however, there is a quick movement of the valve from. the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3, so that the disk of the valve will close the passage 22 and cut off communication between the motive-fluid inlet and the inner end of the cylinder-chamber 4, and the disk 16 of the valve will uncover the passage 21, so as to open communication between the motive-fluid inlet 20 and the inner end of the cylinder-chamber 3. During the time that the pistons 7 and 8 are traveling from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3, therefore, the motive fluid contained in the inner end of said cylinderchamber 4 is being partially compressed, the motive fluid in the outer end of the cylinderchamber 3 is being fully compressed, and motive fluid is being drawn into the inner end of the cylinder-chamber 3, as shown in Fig. 3. There is now a further movement of the valve to the position shown in Fig. 4, the relation of the parts being now exactly the reverse of that shown in Fig. 2-that is to say, the fully-compressed motive fluid in the outer end of the cylinder-chamber 3 is confined therein by the valve-disk 16, which closes the passage 23. The passage 21 is open to the inlet 20. The passages 22 and 24 are in communication with each other through the valve-chest, but are cut off from communication with the inlet 20 by the valve-disk 15. The outer end of the cylindenchamber 4 is open to the exhaust through the passage 26,

and the spent gases are being driven from this passage by the partially-compressed motive fluid which flows from the inner end to the outer end of said cylinder-chamber 4. About the time that the explosion takes place in the outer end of the cylinder-chamber 3 the valve is moved to the position shown in Fig. 5, which position is the reverse of that shown in Fig. 3 and serves to open communication between the motive-fluid inlet 20 and the inner end of the cylinder-chamber 4 through the passage 22, to close the outlet from the outer end of the cylinder-chamber 4 through the passage 24, to close communication between the inlet 20 and the inner end of the cylinder-chamber 3 through the passage 21, and to close the outlet from the outer end of the cylinder-chamber 3 through the passage 23, so that during the movement of the pistons from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5 a fresh supply of mo tive fluid will be drawn into the inner end of the cylinder-chamber 4, the supply of motive fluid previously drawn into the inner end of the cylinder-chamber 3 will be partially compressed therein, and the supply of motive fluid in the outer end of the cylinderchamber 4 will befully compressed. The valve is then moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the cycle of operations before described is repeated on each stroke of the engine.

Although in Fig. 1 I have shown my invention as embodied in a double engine, it will be evident that the same may be embodied in an engine having but a single cylinder with two chambers and two pistons, and in Fig. 6, I have shown such an engine, this figure also illustrating certain modifications in the valve structure of the engine. In this case, the cam-actuated slide-valve shown in Fig. 1 is discarded, a passage 28 leading from the inner end to the outer end of the cylinderchamber 3, being provided with a cam-actuated rocking valve 29, and a passage 30 leading from the inner end to the outer end of the cylinder-chamber 4, being provided with a cam actuated rocking valve 31. These valves, therefore, only serve to control the flow of partially-compressed motive fluid from the inner end to the outer end of each cylinder-chamber and to cut off communication between the ends of each cylinder-chamher at other times. The inflow of motive fluid into the inner end of each cylinderchamber is controlled by puppet-valves, that for the cylinder-chamber 3 being represented at 32 and that for the cylinder-chamber 4 being represented at 33.

each piston in its cylinder-chamber, therefore, the corresponding puppet-valve'will be opened and motive fluid will be drawn into the inner end of said cylinder-chamber, the valve then closing, so as to confine the motive fluid in such inner end of the cylinder- On the outstroke of pleted, the valve in the passage connecting.

the opposite ends of the cylinder-chamber is opened for such a length of time that partially-compressed motive fluid can flow from the inner end to the outer end of the cylinder and drive the spent gases from the latter through the exhaust-opening, the valve then closing, so as to provide for the full compression of the motive fluid in the outer end of the cylinder-chamber on the outstroke of the piston.

It will be evident that an engine constructed in accordance with my invention provides a maximum amount of power, since there is a practically continuous application of power to the crank-shaft in the same manner as in a steam-engine or other constant-pressure motor, while at the same time I provide for the necessary indraft of the motive fluid for the thorough clearance of the spent gases from the cylinder after each explosion and for the proper compression of the motive power gases previous to the explosion, these operations being performed without the em ployment of complicated, expensive, or troublesome valves or valve mechanism and without preventing compact and convenient disposal of the various parts of the engine.

Although I have described the engine as providing for the full compression and explosion of the gases in the outer end of each cylinder-chamber and the inflow of said gases to and their partial compression in the inner endof each cylinderchamber,it will be evident that these operations can be reversed, if desired, without departing from the essential features of my invention-that is to say, the full compression and explosion of the gases may be effected in the inner end of each cylinder-chamber and the gases may be supplied to and partially compressed in the outer end of each cylinder-chamber.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, in a gas or gasolene engine, of a cylinder containing two separated chambers, each with an exhaust therefrom, connected pistons, one in each chamher, an inlet for the motive fluid, communications between the inner and outer ends of each cylinder chamber, said communications being independent of the exhaust-passages, and valve mechanism independent of the piston and operated from the engineshaft, said valve mechanism providing for the flow of motive fluid from one end of the cylinder to the other, while the exhaust from the latter end of the cylinder is open, whereby the first inflow of said motive fluid serves to expel the spent gas from said end of the cylinder, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in a gas or gasolene engine, of a single cylinder structure containing two chambers separated from each other by a single partition, pistons, one in each chamber and connected by a rod passing through said partition, means for introducing motive fluid into, and exhausting it from, each cylinder-chamber, and piston connections passing through slots in the sides of the cylinder structure, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, in a gas or gasolene engine, of a single cylinder structure con taining two pairs of piston-chambers, each pair with single partition between them, a piston in each pistonchamber, each pair of pistons being connected by a rod passing through the partition between the corresponding piston-chambers, a valve-chest located between the two pairs of piston-chambers, a valve in said chest, and passages whereby said valve is caused to control the flow of motive fluid into the inner end of each pistonchamber, and from the inner to the outer end of the same, substantially as speci- 4. The combination, in a gas or gasolene engine, of a cylinder having two separated chambers, each with exhaust therefrom, connected pistons, one in each of said chambers, a valve-chest having a motive-fluid inlet, passages leading from said valve-chest to one end of each cylinder-chamber, other passages leading from said valve-chest to the other end of each cylinder-chamber, and a valve'having disks which alternately open and close said passages, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, in a gas or gasolene. engine, of a cylinder containing separated chambers, each with exhaust therefrom, connected pistons, one in each of said chambers, a valve-chest having a motive-fluid inlet, passages connecting said valve-chest with one end of each cylinder-chamber, other passages connecting the valve-chest with the other end of each cylinder-chamber, and a valve having four disks, the inner disks cooperating with the passages to govern the flow of motive fluid into one end of each cylinderchamber, and from one end of the same to the other, and the end disks serving as traveling heads for the valve-chest, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed. my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN PALMER.

' Witnesses:

M. E vA NEVILLE, WALTER OHIsM. 

